Calcium Carbonate

Another chemical ingredient in Pop tarts is calcium carbonate. The chemical formula for it is CaCO3. Some health side-effects of calcium carbonate are:

• allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue

• confusion or irritability

• headache 

• loss of appetite

• nausea, vomiting 

• unusually weak or tired 

Calcium carbonate is formed in nature. In fact it comprises 4% of the earth's crust. Limestone and chalk are both forms of calcium carbonate. They are produced by sedimentation of the shells of small fossilized snails, shellfish, and coral over millions of years. 

Physical and chemical properties of calcium carbonate include: 

• Is non-combustible
• Decomposes at high temperature (825°C)
• Reacts with acids and acidic salts
• White color
• Powder (like chalk)
• Molar mass is 100.09 g/mol

One reason why Kellogg's puts calcium carbonate into Pop tarts is to give their customers their daily dose of calcium. No matter how you look at it or how it sounds the calcium in calcium carbonate still counts.


Lewis Dot Structure for Calcium Carbonate: